Rubus pascuus
L. H. Bailey
Chesapeake Blackberry
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(c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman
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What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The fruit is rich and juicy, and can be eaten raw or cooked.
Dangerous Lookalikes
This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.
Red Baneberry: Short herbaceous plant (no thorns), berries on thick red stems, each berry has a single seed, compound sharply-toothed leaves.
Chesapeake Blackberry: Thorny woody canes (brambles), aggregate berry made of many drupelets, berries pull easily from receptacle.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant.
Africa, Eswatini, North America, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, USA,
How to Identify
Deciduous shrub with hermaphroditic flowers pollinated by insects. Tolerates light, medium, or heavy soils with good drainage; suits mildly acid to basic pH. Grows in semi-shade to full sun and prefers moist soil conditions.
How to Grow
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of the country. This species is considered to be no more than a synonym of R. longii by some botanists. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.
Propagation: Seed requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed needs one month of stratification at about 3°C and should be sown as early as possible in the year. Prick out seedlings when large enough to handle, grow on in a cold frame, and plant out into permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood can be taken in July/August in a frame. Tip layer in July and plant out in autumn. Division can be done in early spring or just before leaf-fall in autumn.
Medicinal Uses
None known
Other Uses
A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Rubus pascuus is an uncommon North American species of brambles in the rose family. It grows only in the United States, primarily in the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas but with scattered populations farther east in New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas. The genetics of Rubus is extremely complex, so that it is difficult to decide on which groups should be recognized as species. There are many rare species with limited ranges such as this. Further study is suggested to clarify the taxonomy.
Notes
There are about 250 Rubus species.
References (3)
- Mansfield's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops p 432
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Swaziland's Flora Database http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora
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